Office of the Vice President (OVP) Undersecretary and Vice President Sara Duterte鈥檚 chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez. INQUIRER / GRIG MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The chief of staff of Vice President Sara Duterte fell ill and was rushed to the hospital on Saturday morning.
Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez was first brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center and then transferred to St. Luke鈥檚 Medical Center in Quezon City over health issues while detained in a custodial room of the House of Representatives after being cited for contempt during a public hearing.
Before this, Lopez was ordered transferred to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City. But Duterte, who said she would stand as a lawyer of her chief of staff, blocked Lopez鈥檚 transfer to the women鈥檚 prison facility.
House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas confirmed that Lopez was rushed to the hospital. He said that the results of the initial tests done on Lopez indicated that everything was normal and 鈥減anic attack is the observation.鈥�
鈥淒oon sa Veterans, ang result is normal ang lahat ng vital signs, even her ECG. Kaya nagtataka kami kung bakit kinakailangan pang ilipat at ipacheck pa sa St. Luke鈥檚. Perhaps, second opinion, just for added peace of mind,鈥� Taas said in a press conference Saturday.
(At Veterans, the result is all vital signs are normal, even her ECG. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e wondering why the need for her to be transferred and checked at St. Luke鈥檚. Perhaps, second opinion, just for added peace of mind.)
READ: House orders transfer of VP Duterte鈥檚 aide to women鈥檚 prison
鈥淔rom the reports that we got, panic attack is the observation,鈥� he added.
Duterte accompanied Lopez at St. Luke鈥檚. Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa also showed up at St. Luke鈥檚 hospital.
In a message on Saturday, dela Rosa鈥檚 office told reporters: 鈥淗e was in Baguio last night for several events and was supposed to attend another activity today in another province.鈥�
鈥淏ut around 3 a.m., he traveled back to Manila when he learned about what was happening inside the HOR (House of Representatives) detention,鈥� his office added.
In a memorandum Saturday afternoon, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said Lopez was examined and cleared by physicians at the St. Luke鈥檚 Medical Center.
Velasco later confirmed to the press that Lopez was brought back to Veteran鈥檚 saying: 鈥淎s of 1:15 p.m., Atty. Zuleika Lopez is now at a government medical facility, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, where doctors can completely examine her and verify her state of health.鈥�
Lopez was held in contempt by the House committee on good governance and public accountability, which has been probing into alleged misuse of public funds with the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Duterte.
Following Lopez鈥檚 detention at the lower chamber, Vice President Duterte went to the House to visit her, but ended up spending the night at the Batasang Pambansa Complex as she vowed to protect her staff. Later, Duterte declared that she would be staying in the office of her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, 鈥渋ndefinitely.鈥�
Nearly 1 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, Duterte and Lopez had a press conference via Zoom, where both cried foul over the order to transfer the OVP chief of staff to the Correctional Institution for Women.
During the press conference, Duterte likewise revealed that she had already talked to a person whom she instructed to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.
鈥淢ay kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 鈥楰apag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez.鈥� No joke, no joke. Nagbilin na ako,鈥� said the vice president, who ran in tandem with Marcos in the 2022 elections under the 鈥淯niTeam鈥� alliance.
(I already talked to a person. I told the person, 鈥業f they kill me, kill Bongbong Marcos, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez.鈥� No joke, no joke. I鈥檝e left instructions.)
READ: Sara Duterte鈥檚 remark vs Bongbong Marcos is 鈥榓ctive threat鈥� 鈥� Palace
On Saturday morning, Malaca帽ang said Duterte鈥檚 statements is an 鈥渁ctive threat鈥� and that Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin has referred the matter to the Presidential Security Command 鈥渇or immediate proper action.鈥�
鈥淎cting on the Vice President鈥檚 clear and unequivocal statement that she had contracted an assassin to kill the President if an alleged plot against her succeeds, the Executive Secretary has referred this active threat to the Presidential Security Command for immediate proper action,鈥� the Palace said.
鈥淎ny threat to the life of the President must always be taken seriously, more so that this threat has been publicly revealed in clear and certain terms,鈥� it added.